#boy oh boy was this a doozy..

[borzoilover69]

Jake Writing Guide : 2024 Colourised!

Ok well, this isn't the prime year 2014 but I really wanted to make a concise and easy to consume guide for how to write Jake accurately since he can be quite the fussy tosspot if you dont know where to start. [ WARNING ITS A BIT LONG I INCLUDE JAKE DIALOGUE TO HELP WITH UNDERSTANDING WHAT IM SAYING. ] First off: drop the commas, and the apostrophes. He uses largely run-on sentences and has a sort of rambly sense of words. He does however use "these" every now and then and just as it strikes him tends to *Drag out the ole roleplayisms.* when it suits the situation.

Jake doesn't really tend to use old-timey slang but he does have rather antiquated ways of speaking, with a pension for more articulated language. He only REALLY breaks out the old timey words when particularly impressed or exasperated for emphasis. Usually, these words are british slang.

Note how he goes on a ramble that is slightly self-centred. He also spins stories similiar to how Dirk does, but without the ice-cold deal. Tossing in his own spin with his own words.

This one is just really fucking funny.

When hes particularly exasperated he leans into it MORE. Just really spreads it on thick. Like if he continues to say funny words you'll forget everything else and be distracted by his whimsy.

Jake is FAR more socially aware than people give him credit for but prefers to avoid tricky subjects hes not too comfortable with until he feels suitably ready for it, prefers battles he knows he can win so to speak. He also tends to think hes overthinking it and backtrack into ignorance. He overcomplicates things same as dirk does but rather than doing Dirks "yup thats a me problem. Im going to quietly stress about it now!", jake brushes it under the rug and tries not to think about it like a college student trying not to think about their outstanding academic paper and the promise of "Yeah, I'll do it later" (doesn't)

Note his more genuine understanding of why Dirk functions the way he does, well aware of the pros AND cons of having something like a combat machine hunting him.

His awareness of Janes crush and reluctance to deal with it:

Subsequent backtracking and denial of said premonitions, brushing it under the rug. Again, stating his reluctance to get into it because it's a situation he's not wellversed. Jake doesn't like being put into unpredictable situations, he prefers the easy road that won't inconvenience him much.

Also his desire to be seen as seemingly perfect and not have to dwell on others intents. Now this is something I don't see touched on as MUCH on writing guides for Jake English (then again the majority were made in 2014 so who can blame them.) But when Jake touches on what he views as MORE TABOO feelings aka ones which compromise the go-getter Adventurer image that arent BRAVE and GUSTO and GUNS, such as weakness, hesitation, he tends to pose back to the asking party as a question and reconsider his thought process. Like: Do YOU think its ok for me to feel this way? Why do you think that? Could you imagine me thinking something like that? He cares a LOT about his image and whats acceptable for him to be and to mask his difficulty in some social situations.

He doesn't like acknowledging that which might be sort of difficult for him to come to terms with, with the ye olde character trait of repression that him and John share, believing if he keeps his feelings buttoned up, they don't need to feel embarassed (aka: avoidance)

Hes also a fair bit more snarkier than fanon gives him hooks for. His subconscious takes the form of his best friend, but its commented as being “like hal, in terms of snarks”. Jake can also be the snarky customer to Dirk AND Hal, and Caliborn too. He's a gentleman to ladies (TO A DEGREE) but with guys he's not afraid to be more cutting with it. I am begging you on your hands and knees to drop the woobified jake english and make him slightly snarky and a bit offputting and weird. Jake grew up in the middle of a jungle and burned his grandmother.

Also he seems to be slightly aware of outside forces, note him calling attention to the fact he knows things he shouldn't canonically even be able to know.

Because Jake IS a little freak. He thinks corpse puppetry is funny. He punches what he thinks is fish hitler while ranting about movies. Hes funny as fuck. Hello.

However, with all of THAT out of the way, lets focus on some of the more ABRASIVE parts of his personality. While Jake is funnily charming with his old lingo and tendency to ramble, he has issues! One HUGE one is reluctance to fully FACE things he doesnt feel he has a full grasp on. He DOESNT like going out of his comfort zone, he DOESNT like talking about his emotions to people he really cares about or thinks has fallen for his manic dreamboat pixie persona, He's well aware people fall for it. He works hard to make sure people DO. But it sort of restricts him to that persona, he can't grow from it as long as he holds onto the idea that this persona hes chasing is the only way he can BE without being vulnerable.

Jake can be OVERBEARING, and not just that, painfully unaware when he's up his own ass! This critic he gives to Dirk applies to himself! The reason why he doesn't like brainghost dirk is because GOD forbid the man self-reflect juuust a little and find something that upsets him. Nope! Not going to deal with it. Just as quickly as he is to switch the thought that everyone loves him, he is just as likely to switch to think that everyone doesnt.

Anyways, I think thats all I have to say, Jakes words speak a LOT about his character, and I genuinely love him a lot. He has some words i think about a lot and hes genuinely such an awesome guy. I'll let a few choice pieces of dialogue from Jake himself close this out for me.

This was one of the last conversations we see with him. And I still think about his words a lot.

I'll probably edit this when I get the energy. But I think i covered most of it. Happy writing!

[amazinglyashy]

Love Me, For Ever After - Chapter 1

Read on Ao3 Pairings: Caleb x Reader Summary: For you, the past had always been in the past. You couldn't remember most of it after all, so why should it concern you? You were focused on getting through college- getting through adulthood. And finding people you could rely on. For Caleb, the past had always been how he remained connected to you, his memories vivid of every single moment the two of you had spent together from childhood up until he had to leave. Everything. From the good, the bad, and the dangerously ugly. But what of your repressed past? What happens when the very company that had created you comes back into you life- and it wants it's creation back. Facing the ghosts of your past with faces long forgotten, the bond you had with Caleb is fraying, but slowly, it's metamorphizing into something new. Something dark. Something devious. Something oh so desirable. But will you make it alive? Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Disabled Main Character, Possessive Xia Yizhou | Caleb, Eventual Sm/ut ,Top Xia Yizhou | Caleb, Female Main Character (Love and Deep Space), Grief/Mourning, Psychological Trauma, Medical Trauma, Mind Manipulation, Canon-Typical Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Mutual Pining, Childhood Trauma, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Not Beta Read Nor Do I Care, You get to read my grammar mistakes and you get to like it, Some canon stays while other stuff shifts like those tectonic plates in NYC, Dark Romance time, Stalking, POV First Person, POV Alternating Notes: For anyone who's loved curling up with a dark romance book under covers and rainfall just as much as I do, this one is for you. Chapter wordcount: 4,909

Prologue

I’d always assumed my life would come and go without any particular fanfare. Nothing notable in my accomplishments or career to go off of, except for the classics. Graduating college with high marks, starting a career in a sector I felt confident in, making a livable wage and planning for my future. Maybe even starting a family with a kindly man on the other side of a white picket fence.

Something simple, something sweet, something heartwarming.

Something normal.

Nothing like limping through an alleyway as the rain poured around me, like something out of a movie. Trying to gather footing with my uninjured leg, the pain a distant feeling in comparison to the adrenaline in my heart pounding out, get away, get away, get away .

The world around me gray, so gray. It even felt as such. The dim lit evening, the thunder and lightning crashing in my eardrums that couldn’t hear the downpour over the sound of my own heart thudding. And the only color in the dark of the alley was the gushing of red pouring down my calf and shoe, mixing with the rain and spreading its color all over the concrete.

Yeah, somewhere along the way, I was forced to recognize that maybe not everything in my life was sunshine and rainbows, and maybe I wasn’t living on the sidelines of an everyday romance. Maybe I was living somewhere in the forefront of something more insidious. Like a horror novel that gripped you with every word on every page. One where no one got out alive or unscathed, one that lacked any sort of closure or happy ending like the one I had always imagined for myself.

But somehow, in that horror, I think I found beauty in the beast. The light at the end of the darkest tunnel. A spark lighting on the damp end of a match right before any hope for fire was lost entirely.

I swore I found everything in him.

His thorns had pricked me whenever I had reached my hand through the brambles. And sometimes, I believed that I’d never reach the roses that I had always hoped for.

And perhaps I would never get that kindly man, nor a white picket fence in the middle of a sinisterly perfect suburbia. But what I did know was I could get truth. I could get a rawness I could have never hoped to expect in my life before.��

I could get him.

But that beautiful thought was slipping away, skidding out of the corners of my mind as my foot skidded out from beneath me and I hit the pavement hard enough to feel something for the first time in what felt like forever. 

Yesterday seemed so far away now, and some kind of happy felt like a distant memory, as everything I had once known- everything I had once loved- began falling and crumbling away. Piece by piece. Bit by bit.

I coughed, my throat dry despite how soaked I was in both water and my own blood. Just my own blood? I didn’t know. I didn’t care anymore.

I was too busy trying to keep my eyes open, trying to get away.

But unconsciousness wanted to take me, and the most frustrating thing I had learned recently was that if someone wanted to take me-

I was a scarily easy mark.

Chapter 1 - You

 

“Seriously? Takeout on your couch and I’m not even invited?” 

Tara hooked her arm in mine as we walked out of class, the bright red of her rubber boots contrasting against the puddles she stepped in with a splash. She had always been just a bit more stylish than me, something I found more endearing than embarrassing. At least it meant I had someone to go to for advice when I was bored with the contents of my closet. 

“I told you, Tara.” I replied, trying not to roll my eyes at her just yet. “I’m not watching sitcoms or anything exciting. I’m trying to get as much cramming as possible done tonight, which is the whole reason why I’m ordering in instead of cooking.”

She huffed. “But we have at least half of our classes together! We could have a mini study group with each other and get so much more done. Plus, it would be funner together.”

True, everything she said would seem like a good argument for her case on a better day. And I was half tempted to cave and let her come over with how cold it was outside. The courtyard we stood in right outside the rows of classrooms that made up our little wing of the university was painted in gray from the overcast clouds, and I could feel the chill in my bones that was telling me rain was going to start pouring down any minute, and any more deliberation on either of our parts was letting the clock tick closer and closer to the moment the clouds opened up. 

Still, however, I had to shake my head at Tara.

“You and I both know that the last time we tried having a study group together, we ended up talking about several different subjects and going down a rabbit hole with your tarot cards until past midnight instead of doing any studying whatsoever.”

Looking sheepish, Tara averted her gaze. “Well… yeah. I do remember that. But that was one time! Today would totally be different, I swear!”

Now I allowed myself an eyeroll. She knew as well as I did that that was a complete lie. Well, maybe not quite a lie. I knew how committed she could be to her schoolwork, it was the whole reason why the two of us were at the top of almost every single one of our classes, even the ones we didn’t share. But there was just something about putting us alone in a room together that completely killed our work ethic entirely. I guess we just enjoyed each other’s company too much.

Which only cemented the fact that we needed to be separated tonight if we were going to get any prep work done for the upcoming exams. 

“Look,” I started, “as soon as exams are over, we can have a girls night. Not even takeout and Netflix, but a true girls night out. Movies, a bar, karaoke, whatever we want to do. I’ll save up some money from work starting now so you know I’m serious. Does that work?”

She looked away, and I could tell she was disappointed, but I couldn’t do anything that would otherwise cheer her up. She knew I was right to refuse her, but that didn’t make it any better. When Tara turned back to me, I could tell her smile was forced, but that she wasn’t particularly angry with me. Just a little disappointed.

“Yeah, that works. But don’t think you’re getting out of lunch with me tomorrow!”

I laughed, turning to pull her into a hug. “Don’t worry, I won’t miss lunch with you for the world.”

When we separated, her smile seemed a lot less forced and more like her normal self. Good. I didn’t want to leave her so sad, but I really did need to be going. 

“You taking the train again?” Tara asked, kicking her foot across another puddle, luckily in the opposite direction from where I was standing. I nodded, and she turned to start to leave. “Well, be careful in that case.”

I gave her another nod. “I always am, you know me”

“Yeah, but I still worry!”

We shared one more smile, before turning to go our separate ways. It always ended the same way if we didn’t make plans together. We’d waste time in the same spot in the middle of the courtyard, shooting the shit or talking about the latest assignment in our classes. Then she’d turn and head towards her dormitory hall, and I’d turn and head towards the stairs that led down to the subway system underground. Neither of us ever looked back even though we had a decent walk to our different locations, and we always knew we’d see each other tomorrow.

And just like I had predicted, it began to rain again. Just a soft sprinkle for now, but it did cause me to quicken my step. I didn’t have a cute pair of boots for the rain like Tara did, and she’d been insisting I either wear the old pair I had that were a gross green in color, or allow her to buy me a nicer pair the next time we went shopping together. But I didn’t usually mind it. My sneakers didn’t get wet enough to be a bother, until it usually downpoured late into the day. By that time, I was always heading home like I was right now, and could let my sneakers dry overnight if I needed to, or wear my other pair the next day to give them more time to dry.

Yeah, it wasn’t the best way to go about the situation, but it worked for me.

I pulled out my phone, glancing down at the screen as a few droplets collected across the glass. 5:37pm. I had a few minutes before the train got to my platform, but I shouldn’t waste anymore time. I shoved my phone back into my pocket and did my best to go down the stairs that led underground to the subway station carefully, usually favoring a quicker skip just on impulse, but not wanting to slip and eat shit so soon after separating from Tara. If I had to call her for help from two hundred steps away, I would probably rather just lie and wait until I melted into a puddle myself then accept the embarrassment, her loving ridicule, and worry.

Scanning my card and pushing through the turnstile, my pocket vibrated as a message came through on my phone. I stole a quick glance at the platform to make sure I wasn’t about to run into anyone creepy or unsavory before pulling out my phone again. The ceiling was damp, the rain seeping through even the thickest of asphalt and concrete from cracks I refused to put too much thought into, or else I might scare myself into walking all the way down to the next, newer station, or even taking the bus system home to avoid possible foundational problems. I shivered. It was usually dark and damp down here, and the only other person waiting nearby was another female student waiting for the train going in the opposite direction as mine on the other side of the station. 

I didn’t know if that made it better or worse- being alone, or having more people around. 

Pushing away my anxiety, I unlocked my phone, glancing down at the message notification. It was from my grandmother, and her usual text appeared as I opened the message. 

Getting home safely, sweetheart?

I wanted to shake my head, but I couldn’t. She sent it every single time whenever she knew I was reaching the end of my day, but wasn’t quite home yet. I wanted it to be annoying, but it was just endearing at this point. I know she worried, but I had a laundry list of ways to defend myself. Both purchased by her from a self defense website she thought had good customer service, and stuff I had learned with Tara over some summer classes at a private gym with an instructor from the military itself. I thumbed out a reply, to help her feel better regardless.

Yeah, waiting for the train right now. It’ll be here any moment.

Smiling at the immediate heart emoji in reaction to my message and ‘read’ at the bottom of the page, I clicked my phone off. It wasn’t a long ride home, so she’d probably be waiting for me when I got there. I already asked her if I could order us takeout tonight, since it was my turn to cook. She’d agreed after a little bit of loving banter about how I was shirking my responsibilities, which I had fully expected. 

Pocketing my phone one more time as I heard the rails begin to ring, I took another look around the station. I still stood alone with the other girl, the opposite side of the platform occupied by her and whatever it was she was watching out loud on social media as my train arrived at the station. I hoped her train would arrive soon, or that she had just as much awareness as I did, as I boarded the train barely a moment after the doors slid open.

Dangerous people were everywhere. No matter how nice life could be, you always had to prepare yourself for the few bad eggs to come rolling along with the intention of risking your safety. And when you were alone like she was, or like how I oftentimes was too, you needed to be ready.

Ready for anything, and anyone.

 ----- 

My head hit the pillow, and I instantly just wished for sleep to take me, but I had been staring at a bright laptop screen all evening, so it was making it difficult to be anything close to sleepy yet. I’d forever curse the university’s lack of dark mode on any of their assignment canvases, and docs for being bright white on anywhere that wasn’t my phone. 

Thankfully, I’d taken a shower as soon as I got in, while me and my grandmother had been waiting for the takeout I had ordered to get here. We’d talked a little bit after that about my day and hers, before she went to bed early and I buckled down to truly start cramming for the exams coming up. If I wanted to graduate, I needed to do at least decently on them. But I didn’t want to just simply graduate- I wanted to pass with flying colors. I wanted honors and praise all across the board, and I was willing to work my ass off in order to accomplish that.

And I was doing well. I wasn’t going to be mean to myself and not recognize how much I had already done. All of the work that had paid off paired with compliments from even my more difficult and stubborn professors. I had a good relationship with all of them, at least, a good enough relationship that not one of them would refuse to give me an excellent letter of recommendation if I needed it. Or pull in a few favors for me to insert nicely at the start of whatever career path I decided to take after graduation.

I rolled over in bed, my gaze falling on the nightstand beside me, where a pair of glasses I always forgot to clean and wear sat, in front of a framed photo that had been taken by a stranger on the pier forever ago. I didn’t remember much of the day that it was taken, but I did remember the feeling of happiness as I grinned for the camera, the arms of a boy I didn’t know anymore wrapped around me like I would float away into the sky if he didn’t hang onto me. 

His name had been Caleb, and he’d lived here up until a couple of years ago. It was such a short time, but felt like a lifetime away since he had gone away to work in the military, and I had gone to find higher education. My grandmother had taken us both in when we were kids- neither of us bore any sort of blood relation to her or each other, but for a moment, we’d felt like a broken sort of family that had been glued together with paste and some hope. Like three random pieces from a few different plates that had shattered forever ago, we fit together in a weird way.

I sighed deeply, my shoulders lifting and falling with something I couldn’t describe even if I wanted to. Somehow, the room felt quieter after thinking about the past, like no one else existed anymore, and I was surely and truly alone. 

Curling up, I hugged my duvet and closed my eyes. I didn’t know why melancholy had taken over me, but I assumed it was just nostalgia tightening around my chest and making a home in the hollows. 

Hell, maybe the yaki udon I’d pigged out on for dinner had given me food poisoning, and that was all I was feeling. Yeah, my stomach was just turning over from some amazing Japanese food and not from thinking about the past. That was absolutely what was happening right now.

Another sigh wracked through my chest, and I let my eyes close slowly. 

I didn’t usually remember anything from when I was a kid, even after my grandma had rescued me from whatever had caused me to be orphaned in the first place. It was like my brain was trying to continue to save me from anymore trauma, long after the trauma had already passed. It was frustrating. It made it hard to remember anything- including the good. Including Caleb.

I could remember the dark chocolate of his hair, strands sticking to his forehead every summer whenever the two of us went out to hunt for fireflies. I could recall the rosey tones of his eyes, the edges of the irises filled out with an almost lavender. I’d always known purple eyes to be a rarity- While I wasn't quite sure where I had read that, whenever I had looked at him, I could believe it to be true, whether it was truly fact or  fiction. He’d stick his tongue out at me whenever he caught me looking at him, and my mindlessly agape mouth had always broken out into a grin, teasing him back and never allowing him to pick on me too much, affectionately or not.

Yeah, I couldn’t remember much of him. But what I could, only made me miss him more.

And I knew he was still out there somewhere, busy with work and surely exhausted from daily trainings. He’d come back someday and forever wouldn’t feel so long anymore, because we’d pick up right where we all had left off as a weird little broken family.

And someday, maybe I’d be able to remember more about him than just the way I felt about him in my memory. 

I hoped for that someday to come a lot sooner than it was feeling like it would, as I felt myself slowly start to get overtaken by sleep, my grip loosening on my duvet as I did, but never fully stopping hugging the plush of the fabric.

I felt like holding something tonight.

 -----

Exhausted from the evening before, I’d somehow stumbled my way to the station again this morning, homemade muffin in hand and sleep still crusted in the corners of my eyes. I didn’t know whether to be thankful I’d gotten all my work done last night, or mad at myself for not just putting it off until this morning.

I’d made it all the way out the door to where I stood now before my phone buzzed with an email notification from the professor of my first class of the morning.

I apologize for the inconvenience, but I’ll have to cancel this morning’s class due to unforeseen personal circumstances. Hopefully this gives you all a chance to catch up on any work you might be missing or lacking confidence in, and I’ll see you all on Monday!

I grumbled to myself, clutching the straps of my backpack as I boarded the train and grabbed a bar. I’d made sure the forest green baseball cap I wore was tugged down low so no one thought I was giving them a dirty look, and so that I could continue to be upset about running on less sleep than I wanted to be for no reason.

The forecast had called for even more rain today than yesterday, and it seemed like autumn was coming in with constant showers. So I’d gotten dressed in a black and white striped knit shirt, a pair of pale blue jeans, and a loose fitting raincoat that was a lovely daffodil yellow color, something Tara had picked out for me the last time we’d been at the mall together forever ago. I’d caved and worn my old rainboots, and they didn’t look absolutely horrible with the outfit, though I still felt a little self conscious about their condition and coloring.

Brainrotting a little, I kept scrolling my phone as the train sped by stations and underground routes. My timeline had long since turned itself into a mess, with how varied my interests could be. But this was getting so ridiculous, I didn’t even know what I was into anymore. 

Recipe videos, outfit of the day videos, new cafes that were popping up both locally and on the other side of the country despite my location being obvious in the apps data, speedpaints from my favorite artists, and even a handful of thirst traps.

Look, I never said I was holy. And there was something about the big men in the videos, flexing underneath tight black button downs and slim fitted pants just as dark that got me drooling. It was even worse if they were dressed in a uniform. Tara had similar taste, so I’d never felt much shame about it, and soon enough, I’d be getting a new thirst trap of some man in a face mask with gorgeous eyes and short wavy hair every five scrolls or so.

Okay, maybe I had a small problem.

The train skidded to a stop, metal grinding before the door slid clumsily open. I let out a breath as I got off, pushing through the small throng of other students taking the transit system to school and scanning my card at the exit turnstiles. I skipped up the steps and began my usual routine of scanning the crowd for Tara waiting for me, but I was met with barely-familiar faces.

Damn, she must have read the email and gone straight back to bed since she lived on campus. I blew out a breath that caught a loose strand of hair. 

I hadn’t walked across campus alone in a long while, not since the last time Tara had met someone she had liked and was seeing him every couple of mornings. I hadn’t minded, and it wasn’t like she was neglecting our friendship, but I couldn’t help but get that same feeling every time that I had gotten last night.

I couldn’t help feeling a little bit lonely.

The only good news was that my next classroom was located indoors, in a small building to the left of campus, on the second floor. But the bottom floor had a lounge area for students to relax and study in between classes, and I had the wonderful opportunity to become one of those very students thanks to my lonely morning.

Pushing through the door with a click of the latch, I escaped the damp of the outside drizzle and was embraced by the warmth of the classroom building. The thermostat was never set particularly high even when winter had hit full force, but it felt like a furnace when coming out of the bitter cold. Or, in this case, the damp and chilly autumn air. 

Hefting my backpack off of my shoulders, I sat quietly down. The dated brown and and rainbow speckled carpet scuffed under my boots as I kicked my legs out, and I could feel myself sinking into the back of the more modernized circular chair I had chosen to rest in across from two others just like it, the orange plush fabric comfortable, if a little stained and used. 

From what I could tell glancing around, I was the only one in the room. Pulling out my phone again to mindlessly scroll, no one else was around me to judge what I was looking at, so I was free to watch whatever I wanted to- Well, so I had thought.

I felt a tap on my shoulder, and I glanced up immediately, my eyes meeting with the deepset golden brown ones that stared down at me. His hair was longer, tied neatly back in a bun that hung loosely down and low against the side of his neck. His expression wasn’t malicious- far from it, he seemed friendly despite what his outfit said- all leather and chains, black the color of choice that painted across his body. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t expect him to have tattoos underneath his sleeves and pant legs, and I’d be lying if I said I’d never found a leather jacket and tight pants more than attractive. 

“You’re the top student of Ms. Edwards’ class, aren’t you?”

Taken a bit aback by the first words out of his mouth, I let my mouth open and close slowly. It was a combination of the question, and the smooth rasp of his voice that had given me pause. It really wasn’t a huge feat to be at the top of a class, so him asking me about it as if it was something that merited interest was out of the norm.

I managed to find my voice after a moment. “Yes, actually. How’d you know that?”

He gave me a small snicker, moving to sit in the chair across from me. The way he draped against the back and arms could be considered sinful, as he crossed his legs by balancing an ankle on the opposite knee. “Shockingly, I know you're at the top of pretty much every class you take, believe it or not.”

“Okay…” I responded, beginning again. “I guess the better question is why is that important to you, and what it has to do with whatever you approached me for?”

“I was actually wondering if you’d let me interview you.” He laughed, louder this time. “I’m interning for a company for my field of study, and one of the things we’re required to do is interview a person of interest.”

“...And I’m particularly ‘interesting’ to you, why?”

He shrugged, nonchalant somehow in every move he made. “A top student in her own choice of study? Seems pretty interesting to me. You could be the next prodigy of your sector. I could have a pretty good reference if I was the very first person to recognize talent in an up and coming whiz kid.” He cocked his head to the side. 

“So… does Monday work, same time, same place? I don’t want to scare you by being too forward, but I’m also not the biggest time waster on the planet. I like getting things done easy and fast.”

I regarded him.

I wasn’t going to lie, him sitting down was threatening to make my skin crawl. I’d never been the best around men, for reasons I didn’t know, and them appearing and staying uninvited always made me uncomfortable. Yeah, I knew most girls felt the same, but something felt different from everything I had heard women and friends tell me growing up. It was like just being in front of a guy I didn’t explicitly trust gave me bad vibes, even if he hadn’t even done anything yet.

And it had nothing to do with appearances either- whoever this guy was, it wasn’t because he was dressed like a punk that I was apprehensive. In fact, I usually found that the more ‘normal’ a guy dressed, the more evil he could be, especially during high school and my first years at college.

Something about men always made me want to run.

But my heart jumped a little at the dimples that framed his smile. It wasn’t often that a guy caught me off guard like this- I usually favored keeping up my stony walls until I had gotten to know a man better, getting a feel for his character and motives before anything went anywhere, even as a friendship. But with that sweet expression painted across his face, I was finding myself tripping over my own shoelaces, face-first into a faster heartbeat and a dusting of pink appearing across my cheeks. I sure didn’t trust him, but I gave him a shy smile in return.

“A small interview about my classroom experience doesn’t sound so bad when you ask me like that… Is that all you’re looking for?”

He held up his hands in false surrender, a laugh escaping his lips as he did. Had I heard a laugh as lovely as that before? If I did, it had been a lifetime since I last got to hear it ring. “I promise. No ulterior motives here.” 

“Well, then I guess I’ll consider meeting you back here on Monday." I reached out my hand, and he leaned forward to give me a handshake. Somewhere weird inside of me wished he would never let it go, and somewhere weird inside of me was tempted to never release his hand. “Why don't you tell me a bit more about this project mister... What was your name again?”

He sat back in his chair, blowing a stray strand of hair out of the line of his gaze, before flashing me another smile- all teeth this time. 

“For you, I’m Viper.”

[sharky-the-idiot]

Something something I miss Cookie Laboratorium

[internetskiff]

"oh i'll just make a video on caroline's aperture based off of the tumblr post I made it'll be an easy n' quick one :) " > script writing phase >

[melonelle]

🌼 ​​my lastest post as a lookbook - part one 🌼​​

➤everyday one: hair - choker - outfit - bracelet - rings - nails - shoes ➤everyday two: hair - earrings - necklace - top - bottoms - socks - shoes ➤formal one: hair - necklace - dress - shoes ➤formal two: hair - hair acc - dress - socks - shoes ➤athletic one: hair - top - bottoms - socks(outdoor retreat) - sneakers ➤athletic two: hair - outfit - socks - sneakers ➤sleepwear one: hair - outfit ➤sleepwear two: top - top acc - bottoms - slippers ➤party one: hair - necklace - dress - socks - sneakers ➤party two: hair - necklace - top - bottoms - bracelet - sneakers ➤swimwear one: hat - top - bottom ➤swimwear two: sunglasses - swimsuit - acc ➤hot weather one: hair - hair acc - hat - top - bottoms - bracelet - socks - shoes ➤hot weather two: hat - top - bottoms - shoes ➤cold weather one: hat - hair - outfit - boots ➤cold weather two: hat - top - bottoms - gloves - boots - thank you to the creators: @simstrouble @myshunosun @candysims4 @serenity-cc @madlensims @its-adrienpastel @nolan-sims @joliebean @ice-creamforbreakfast @jius-sims @charonlee @helgatisha @viiavi @casteru @clumsyalienn @trillyke @softerhaze @caio-cc @behemoththings @miro-sims @simandy @mmsims @darknighttsims @cubersims @dreambot @greenllamas @pralinesims @simbience @sforzcc @superflare @rustys-cc @marsmerizing-sims @woosteru @madameriasims4 -

[thefastestclockintheuniverse]

I love [S] END OF ACT 6 INTERMISSION 1 for the way it foreshadows the adventures of the alpha kids, through the eyes of Jane waking up on Prospit and seeing her first visions in the clouds.

[thesnivy123]

MY WELL INTENTIONED PURPOSE HAS LED ME TO BELIEVE I COULD BE WORTHLESS, EITHER I'VE BEEN UP TOO LATE, OR I'VE GONE OUT OF MY MIND!

lyrics from Overdrive Girl by Magdaluxe- go check it out!

[juh-wasnt-deactivated19691231]

new theory i'm working on: the military is probably the largest pseudo-socialist organization in the united states

[totem-but-shark]

i can't stop thinking about qfoolishs interactions with the golden cucurucho child, he had this certain lilt to his voice all day and was dropping such fascinating lines i've been clawing at the bars of my enclosure needing to dissect it. So I propose the perspective of viewing their interactions as qfoolish possibly projecting onto the goldernruchito

Even looking at just the line "You're just a statue, remember that", replace statue with totem and suddenly it becomes eerily similar to the feelings qfoolish has long been implied to have in relation to his own status of a totem. Are totems not also statues? I'm fairly certain he might've even described himself as some kind of statue before. He dehumanises himself often though subtly, he serves a purpose, one he has to fulfil. He's just a totem.

This comparison between foolish and the goldenruchito continues in the line "we're the same", id like to think qfoolish meant this beyond their golden skins. He's been known to empathise and identify with gold and totems before and they're lifeless, this is a living golden child. To me this could be qfoolish confirming he sees himself in the kid.

This becomes far sadder with the question "are you the only one of your kind?", with the context of qfoolish possibly projecting it's easy to understand what i'm implying. We've never seen another totem on the qsmp, hybrid or not. Not in federation notes, nor implied totem throwaway lore. Hell, even qfoolish hardly knows what he is. Demons are a species, they're able to find and identify each other and often stick together. There's understanding between groups of hybrids, shared instincts and experiences. And then there's foolish. Unique, painfully so. It makes me wonder if he'd ever seen anything like himself before, perhaps ever. He might just be "the only one of his kind". You'd see how this fellow golden being could really shake him up, maybe being a part of his fascination and fluctuating opinion on the kid.

This thing is like him, but not really, but kinda. It might as well be a totem, even if it isn't. He doesn't like it. It's just a child, all alone.

This isn't canon, but foolish isn't gonna give us anything so i take what i get. In my heart it's canon. Thanks for reading :]

[lunaledragonet]

Okay I'm gonna go insane here for a few minutes so bear with me. Or just don't click Keep Reading because this is gonna be a long post. Anyway I started having Thoughts a few weeks ago, as per usual, except these thoughts were just. "What if Starlo from UTY was a system." So now we have that I guess. I wrote down a list of all his alters as well as several notes. Please enjoy the culmination of at least 3 full Discord messages' worth of mental illness.

Starlo (he/him) - Co-host. The original guy in there. Farmboy. Handles family matters. Emotional Repression at it's finest; the others go and get him when something emotional is happening, he feels all of it but acts like he feels none of it.

North Star (he/him) - Co-host. Formed when Starlo was 15, so he's one of the two "normal" Stars. Sheriff of the Wild East in every way but one. Very silly, very over-the-top, and was the one that essentially adopted Clover at first sight while Starlo was trying to say Hey, Please Don't Do That. The hat is a trigger for him to come to front, but sometimes he takes a while. Starlo is a good actor, though.

Polaris (he/they) - The one to deal with truly dangerous situations. Formed after the first real bandit attack on the Wild East. Scared everyone when he came out for the second. Just talkative enough to intimidate his opponents and get things done, otherwise very quiet and often won't reply with words. He sticks to front for a long time, and won't leave until he sleeps. This has resulted in days without sleep and with only Polaris before.

Meta (??/??) - Formed after the Asriel Dreemurr fight, since Flowey had all the memories of Clover's Neutral runs. The sprite that appears in battle if you kill Star, a.k.a the guy I've written 65 whole physical pages about. Has a Hard Fucking Time talking but tries anyway. If he knew how to use a mouth, he'd be much more talkative, but as it stands he mostly just makes noises and short phrases. No shared memories, but vague feelings towards everyone the others know. Feels every bit of pain that their physical body does. Unfortunately hostile towards Clover, if they get revived.

Chujin (he/him) - Factive of actual Chujin, just… smugger and meaner. Treats Ceroba the way actual Chujin treated her, to an extent enforced by Starlo because he's awkward about it. Very "mad bc i had a kid with her and you didn't?" towards the others. Formed a few weeks after actual Chujin died, out of a desire to give Kanako back her father, somehow. Doesn't remember anything the hosts do, on purpose. He does, somehow, remember what Polaris and Meta do, though. Starlo and North Star hate him, but they have to admit that his handiness with tools is a good thing, sometimes.

And now: Notes

Polaris was co-fronting with North Star during Clover's battle with him. He was holding back. He knew, if the danger didn't come from Clover, it would've come from North Star himself. Didn't leave until long after Clover's battle with Ceroba (co-con with North, then with North and Starlo before he sent the letter to Clover warning them about her, then with just North again. If he'd been there alone and not just lurking in the shadows behind the other two, Ceroba probably wouldn't have knocked them down as easily.)

Fronting is like playing a video game, and then getting transported into the game until you step out again. There's a controller and a TV and everything- it's one of those old box TVs, since that was what Star used to watch all his movies on. It's probably a video game specifically thanks to Kanako.

North Star is responsible for breaking up fights in the headspace(usually verbal, and between Chujin and one of the others), by his own decree. He's pretty good at it... except when he gets into a fight himself. (This is why he sometimes takes a bit to come to front.)

Chujin doesn't know how to activate the glamour on North Star's hat that shadows his eyes like that. So unless North was already there immediately prior, Star's glasses are always visible when Chujin fronts.

Ceroba doesn't know how to react when her best friend suddenly starts acting like her dead husband.

... actually, she doesn't know how to react to any of Starlo's headmates, save for North and Starlo himself. She tends to treat them the same and tries not to read into it too much.

Starlo is aware of North Star, not so much of the others. He thinks Chujin might be a haunting, although "why me" is a question he can't really answer. He started thinking differently after finding the basement. He thinks Polaris is just a "mode" he set up for when Real Shit goes down, since he didn't know what to do the first time and panicked. He doesn't know that Meta exists for a long time.

After Kanako fell down and then was never released from the lab, Chujin got real depressed. Like, he took the brunt of all the Sad in comparison to everyone else. He doesn't front very often after the fact, but sometimes he'll come out to spend time with Ceroba and comfort her.

During Genocide, Polaris is co-fronting with North Star. He's been lingering in the back since they got the evacuation notice. They plus Starlo got everyone evacuated and then Starlo and North Star promptly had a full-blown panic attack meltdown once the town was well and truly empty. Polaris tried to keep track of what was going on outside of them, but the panic wasn't very good for that, so he stepped back for a bit to let them both calm down. When Clover arrived, Polaris was ready to shoot them on sight but North Star was the one who realized "oh shit fuck that's a CHILD" and made them hesitate for too long.

Upon viewing the tapes in their entirety, after Clover gives up their SOUL, Chujin starts to blame Ceroba for what happened to Kanako. Starlo reminds him that she was completely and entirely devoted to him, and technically this is his fault for not realizing that she Physically Cannot Say No to her family when it's not about, like, having two bowls of ice cream for dinner. They end up fighting over this for a while and North Star is just there, in the basement, putting all the tapes back where they belong so he doesn't start screaming

During the Asriel Dreemurr fight, I like to think that all the SOULs are There, in a sense, like in a giant room all grouped together as sort of ethereal versions of themselves. Star (as well as any other system present) looks weird, since it's a manifestation of his SOUL and not his actual body. So instead of looking like his normal self, he's mainly Polaris with North Star's hat, Starlo's habits and a couple colors. On top of the hat, Chujin's freaking out like "oh god where's my wife where are the human SOULs where are we where's my WIFE" and occasionally Starlo pops up there to tell him to calm down, they'll find Ceroba, and all this is happening while North is trying to call the Feisty Four over to him so they have some sense of being okay in this weird fucked-up mindscape

Also Meta starts forming while they're there in Asriel due to the abnormal amount of other-timeline memories messing with everyone. Polaris was paying more attention to their surroundings than everyone else, so he kept catching glimpses of all the memories and saw a lot of Clover killing him

[emloafs]

i chose chaos today and dropped chapter 12 of im wanting it back (my amnesia trope binary boyfriends fanfic)

i hope all who read enjoy <3

[legendarylily]

I feel worried for the premier of Iterator Logs 5

Why? Because I know I’m gonna bawl my eyes out for Unbroken Promise

[gibles-lovely-selfships]

Feel free to submit propaganda for either of the contestants in the comments if you wish!

[kitsunesakii]

Some digital Pasta for you all

[dialux]

run, godspeed

Sansa reaches out and runs a hand through his red curls, soft and forgiving, and she nods. “The King’s work will be done,” she whispers into his ear, and then she grips him tighter and kisses him on the forehead, hard and stamping: a wolf’s kiss. [Joffrey decides to teach Sansa Stark a lesson in gratitude. Sansa learns something else altogether.]

READ THE SECOND CHAPTER ON AO3!

[harlequinalis]

So the Scribing storyline was really good